Introduction Sardjono (often also written as Sordjono) was one of a group of Indonesian political detainees whose wartime journey from Dutch colonial imprisonment to Australia placed him at the centre of a significant historical transition. His experience reflects the broader trajectory of many Indonesians who, during the Second World War, Read more
The history of No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF is often told as one of Allied cooperation and operational success. Yet in its early period in Australia, the squadron experienced a profound internal crisis that culminated in one of the most controversial legal cases involving Dutch forces in exile Read more
The story of the B-25 Mitchell N5-185, known as “Lienke”, is one of the most compelling examples of how wartime aviation, personal history and Allied cooperation came together in Australia during World War II. Operated by No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF, this aircraft was not only part of Read more
When and why did you move to Australia? I moved to Melbourne five years ago to live with my new partner. He is Dutch too and moved here fifteen years ago. I found out I was pregnant with my first child just before moving here. It was a huge surprise, luckily Read more
Peter Reef recently self-published his memoir The Road from Wagga Wagga: Recollections of a Migrant Son (2026). Peter’s parents migrated from the Netherlands to Australia an astonishing three times between 1951 and 1965, and the book recounts his experience of growing up between the two countries and cultures, and how Read more
One of the most remarkable pilots of the Netherlands East Indies Air Force (ML-KNIL) in Australia during World War II was Gerson (Guus) Hagers, who served with No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF. In February 1942 he was part of the group tasked with receiving newly acquired B-25 bombers Read more
By Dr. Nonja Peters Between 1945 and 1949, around 300,000 Indies-born and Eurasian Dutch relocated from the Netherlands East Indies to the Netherlands as a result of the Japanese Occupation of Java and Sumatra and the Indonesian Revolution. Not only did the Indos (Eurasian Dutch) have to leave members of Read more
By Julia Weisz This article outlines the journey of Heinrich (Heini) Kuhn and Josefine (Fini) Kuhn, whose lives reflect the experience of many European Jewish families displaced by war, persecution, and political upheaval, and who later became part of Australia’s post-war migrant community. Early life and migration to the Netherlands Read more
Introduction The Scheyville Migration Camp occupies an important, though often understated, place in Australia’s postwar migration history. Located about 50 kilometres north-west of Sydney, the camp served as a reception and training centre for thousands of migrants between 1949 and 1964. For many European arrivals—including significant numbers from the Netherlands—the Read more
A touch of humour: the recollections of Walter Mannot as a lively nine-year-old living in the former Dutch colony of the Netherlands East Indies By: Dr. Sue Summers – 2006 Walter Mannot was born in the in the Netherlands East Indies in Kemanglen in central Java in 1932. His brother Read more